title: Scaffold-assisted cartilage tissue engineering using infant chondrocytes from human hip cartilage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies about cartilage repair in the hip and infant chondrocytes are rare. The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of infant articular hip chondrocytes for tissue engineering of scaffold-assisted cartilage grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hip cartilage was obtained from five human donors (age 1-10 years). Expanded chondrocytes were cultured in polyglycolic acid (PGA)-fibrin scaffolds. De- and re-differentiation of chondrocytes were assessed by histological staining and gene expression analysis of typical chondrocytic marker genes. In vivo, cartilage matrix formation was assessed by histology after subcutaneous transplantation of chondrocyte-seeded PGA-fibrin scaffolds in immunocompromised mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The donor tissue was heterogenous showing differentiated articular cartilage and non-differentiated tissue and considerable expression of type I and II collagens. Gene expression analysis showed repression of typical chondrocyte and/or mesenchymal marker genes during cell expansion, while markers were re-induced when expanded cells were cultured in PGA-fibrin scaffolds. Cartilage formation after subcutaneous transplantation of chondrocyte loaded PGA-fibrin scaffolds in nude mice was variable, with grafts showing resorption and host cell infiltration or formation of hyaline cartilage rich in type II collagen. Addition of human platelet rich plasma (PRP) to cartilage grafts resulted robustly in formation of hyaline-like cartilage that showed type II collagen and regions with type X collagen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that culture of expanded and/or de-differentiated infant hip cartilage cells in PGA-fibrin scaffolds initiates chondrocyte re-differentiation. The heterogenous donor tissue containing immature chondrocytes bears the risk of cartilage repair failure in vivo, which may be possibly overcome by the addition of PRP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Center Rostock, Doberanerstrasse 142, 18057 Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Kreuz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gentili
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Samans
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mittelmeier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endres
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cancedda
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaps
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D054337:Cell Dedifferentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005337:Fibrin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D024043:Collagen Type II; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D005337:Fibrin
keywords: Cartilage regeneration; Hip cartilage repair; Infant chondrocytes; Polyglycolic acid scaffold; Tissue engineering